Just a couple of weeks ago, we brought you the news about Keanu Reeves (47 Ronin), who was the the front-runner to play Kaneda in the Albert Hughes (Book of Eli) directed, live-action adaptation of Akira, passing on the role and the studio has shutting down the pre-visualization department and letting go of most of the staff that was working on the film. 

Now, Deadline reports that director Albert Hughes has exited the project for supposedly “amicable creative differences” and the studio is feverishly searching for someone to helm the live-action adaptation of the graphic novel by Katsuhiro Otomo.

Akira is slated to hit theaters in 2012.